Humanities

Die Katakomben erschienen im Südkaukasien seit der frühen Bronzezeit im Verbreitungsgebiet der Kura-Araks Kultur im Ostgeorgien. Sie sind auch in der Mittelbronzezeit in Ostgeorgien und in der Spätbronzezeit in Armenien bekannt. Im Artikel werden die mittelbronzezeitlichen Katakomben aus Ostgeorgien beurteilt. Es wurde alle vorhandenen Informationen über publizierten und unpublizierten Gräber zusammengafasst. Das sind insgesamt 9 publizierte und 9 unpublizeirte solche Gräber in Ostgeorgien. Es wird alle ihre Merkmalen wie  Verbreitung, Grabkonstruktion, Ausstattung beurteilt. Dazu kommt die Materialanalyse. Es wird die Frage nach Herkunft von diesem Grabform im Südkaukasien beurteilt.

The article deals with burial site classification in Trialeti Culture. They are divided into two main groups: burial mounds (1) and burial pits (2). In addition there is also an exceptional case (3). Each group is divided into several subgroups according to construction and burial ritual. The article determines spread and environment topography of each group.
Burial mounds with burial chamber are confirmed only in Trialeti and Zurtaketi highland plateau. Burial mounds with aboveground burial chambers are known also in highland regions.
Burial mounds with pits are relatively more widespread, they are represented in all topographical areas, in territorial and vertical zones. Also catacomb burials - one subgroup of pit burial mounds are represented is certain geographical areas, in Kakheti and Shida Kartli lowlands. Pit burials are also represented in the same topographical areas, lowlands of Kakheti and Shida kartli.
Burial mounds with stone constructed burial chambers are known only in Meskheti and north Armenia at Lori Berd cemetery. In both cases there is highland area. 
The article deals with the issues that exact classification of burial forms and determination of archaeological material from each group will bring significant results to study the relative chronology of Trialeti culture.

Am Ende des dritten Jts. und am Anfang des zweiten Jts. v. Chr. war im Zentralteil Südkaukasiens die mittelbronzezitliche Trialeti-Kultur verbreitet. Diese Kultur stand im Kontakt mit vorderasiatischen Hochkulturen. Beweise dafür sind einige Artefakte dieser Kultur die fremde Merkmale aufweisen. In diesem Aufsatz werden vier Artefakte beurteilt. Das sind: eine Kompositnadel mit Metallschaft und Karneolkopf, eine weiss inkrustrierte Karneolperle, ein Lapislazuli Stein und eine Ankeraxt. Kompositnadeln mit Karneolkopf sind in der Trialeti-Kultur in drei Gräbern gefunden worden. Es wird vermutet, daß sie Imitationen von in Mesopotamien seit Frühdynastischer Zeit bekannten Nadeln mit Lapislazuli Kopf sind. Die Imitationen von mesopotamischen Nadeln sind am Ende des dritten Jts. und am Anfang des zweiten Jts. v. Chr. in Vorderasien weit verbreitet. Die inkrustrierte Karneolperle ist in der Trialeti-Kultur durch ein Exemplar vertreten. Die Technik der Inkrustation der Steinperlen ist in Indien und in Südostasien seit der Bronzezeit bis heute vorhanden. Seit der zweiten Hälfte des dritten Jts. v. Chr. spielte Südmesopotamien eine Vermittlerrolle im Handel zwischen der Harappa-Kultur im Gebiet des Indus Tals und weiterer Gebiete des Vorderen Orients. Das betrifft auch Lapislazuli Steine die ebenfalls in der Trialeti-Kultur auftauchen und wahrscheinlich ein Beweis für Kontakte mit Mesopotamien sind. In dem Text werden außerdem Ankeräxte besprochen. Diese sind in Südkaukasien durch vier Exemplare vertreten jedoch gibt es hier keine Prototypen in der einheimischen Kultur.
Aufgrund von oben genannten Argumenten wird in diesem Aufsatz vermutet, daß Kontakte mit Mesopotamien während der III. Dynanstie von Ur (2112-2004 v. Chr.) intensiviert wurden, zu einer Zeit als Mesopotamien intensive Handelsbeziehungen mit verschiedenen Gebieten pflegte.

Place “Amirani’s Valley” is located on the territory of lower flow of river Alazani, on the right bank of river Alazani, to the south of village Sabatlo, approximately 12 km away to the north from Mingachevir reservoir. Directly close to Georgia-Azerbaijan state border. In 2000 during carrying out agricultural activities here damaged two burial mounds. Kakheti’s archeological expedition here conducted rescue operations.
This article is a publication of artifacts remained from # 2 burial mound. It became impossible to state the structure and burial rule of burial mound. Fragments of six ceramic vessels and one stone cover are remained from burial.
According to it shape and ornament the ceramic vessels are parallel to the materials (archeological value) of such monuments of Trialeti culture such as Trileti’s burial mounds I, VII, XV, XVII, XXXIV, Akhchia burial mounds, burial mounds of Natakhtari I, materials of Zemo Alvani burial, at Lori Berd and Nerkin Naver burial mounds in Armenia.
Under the basis of mentioned parallels the burial mound of Amirani’s valley is considered as the monument of Trialeti’s culture and it is the site mostly established eastwards on the spread of this culture in Georgia. Materials of this burial mound differ from north-west Azerbaijan’s Middle Bronze Age materials (Dashiuz and Kudurli burial mounds) located eastwards from it.
It is not possible to establish exact date of burial mound. There are together provided signs characterized to the burial mounds of Trialeti II and III groups (E. Gogadze’s chronology).

The article addresses one form of pottery disseminated during the Bronze Age in Georgia – the hollow leg vase. This form of pottery is found in the Early Bronze Age, specifically within the Kura-Araxes culture. Examples have been discovered in the Kvemo Aranisi settlement in the Aragvi Valley and in the Ilto settlement in Kakheti. This form of pottery is not found after the Kura-Araxes culture and does not appear in monuments of the Early Kurgan Culture. It reappears in the Middle Bronze Age, with a metal vessel of this form known from the Trialeti XV grave mound. According to the British scientist D. Collon, this vessel is analogous to a silver vessel discovered in the Mycenae V shaft grave. Pottery of the same form has been found in grave No. 141 of the Tsagvli cemetery.

This form of pottery is disseminated in the intermediate period from the Middle to Late Bronze Age. During this period, samples of two different sizes are found: "small" (up to 10 cm high) and "average" (about 15 cm and higher). It is also found at the initial stage of the Late Bronze Age in a slightly changed form, after which it ceases to exist.

It appears that the prototype of this form of pottery, disseminated from the end of the Middle Bronze Age, is the metal vessels from the Trialeti XV grave mound. It is known that with the appearance of metal vessels, which were particularly valuable items in the prehistoric era, imitations made from more affordable materials also appeared. Such instances are known in the Bronze Age and later, in the antique period as well. This form of pottery is widespread beyond the borders of the Caucasus and is found in various regions at various times. Due to this widespread occurrence, it is difficult to specify the region under whose influence it might have been disseminated in the Kura-Araxes culture.
The question of whether the hollow leg vases of the Kura-Araxes culture represent prototypes of the Middle Bronze Age vessels of this form remains open.

In the Trialeti Culture there are several artifacts that have analogies in the Aegean world of the Bronze
Age. Yet, the same analogies are also present in other regions. Despite this, Trialeti and Aegean ar
tifacts differ from one another from the chronological point of view. Based on the differences, it is
unlikely that a direct link can be established between these two regions at the end of 3rd millennium
and beginning of 2nd millennium BC. Most probably, contact between these two regions could have
been instigated through a third region. The following artifacts are addressed in this article: a cauldron
which was discovered in kurgan XV in Trialeti. A similar cauldron discovered in the Mycenaean
shaft grave IV strongly resembles it visually. Also, pins with a silver shaft and a golden head found in
kurgans XVII and XXXVI in Trialeti are reviewed, which strongly resemble golden beads found in
Vaphio and Aidonia; however, they are chronologically younger than the Trialeti artifacts. Further,
pithoi from kurgans XV, XLI and XLV in Trialeti are reviewed, which from the 1940s until the present
day have been viewed as large pithoi – like those from Phaistos and Knossos. The article also examines
painted ceramics of the Trialeti Culture, a pedestalled bowl and a bronze spearhead.